Ever since the introduction of the Nintendo DS in 2004, which is Nintendo's first gaming console to have wireless communication as a standard, Nintendo introduced a variety of instant messaging applications to suit each gaming console they released ever since. The following is a list of the messaging applications that was developed for Nintendo's consoles.

PictoChat(ピクトチャット,PikutoChatto) is a communication utility that comes pre-installed on the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite and Nintendo DSi consoles. Up to sixteen people can paint and/or text chat with each other using it, connected wirelessly through a LAN-only, system-to-system wireless connection. It allows for simple input of keyboard text and written text/drawings. PictoChat received an Excellence Prize for Entertainment at the 2004 Japan Media Arts Festival.

The Nintendo DS touch screen is used to type in letters with an on-screen keyboard or to draw and send pictures. Messages sent from the DS or DS Lite appear in black, while DSi systems feature an additional "rainbow" pen (see the last paragraph of functions). The keyboard provides enough Latin and kana glyphs to write in all languages supported by the system: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese, plus Hungarian, Finnish, Portuguese and Dutch.The pictochat system can only send messages in a radius of 10 meters.

Four chat rooms (A, B, C & D) are available at one time, each with a capacity of sixteen people, for a maximum of sixty-four people in total of all the chat rooms.

On the DSi versions of PictoChat, a rainbow pen can be used by tapping on the pen icon again once it has been selected. Content created using the rainbow pen can be read by PictoChat users on Nintendo DS Lite and original Nintendo DS systems. Additionally, the DS and DS Lite play a special sound when receiving a message written by a DSi user.

Although not an official function, PictoChat has been used to create short animations by drawing individual pictures on the Nintendo DS's touch screen and sending them frame by frame to the message board on the top screen. By pressing and holding down the left shoulder button and right shoulder button respectively to scroll through the pictures, it shows them at a frame rate of 7.5 frames per second, creating the illusion of animation. Several online galleries are dedicated to sharing PictoChat animations.[1]

The Nintendo DS kanji-English-Japanese dictionary 'Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten' (漢字そのまま楽引辞典) contains an extension to PictoChat that allows users to input kanji characters in addition to the standard character set. This version of PictoChat also vocalized roman characters and kana when they are input. This software is only available in Japan.

The Wii Message Board allows users to leave messages for friends, family members, or other users on a calendar-based message board. Users can also use WiiConnect24 to trade messages and pictures with other Wii owners, conventional email accounts (email pictures to console, but not pictures to email), and mobile phones (through text messages). Each Wii has an individual wii.com email account containing the Wii Number. Prior to trading messages it is necessary to add and approve contacts in the address book, although the person added will not get an automatic notification of the request, and must be notified by other means. The service also alerts all users of incoming game-related information.

The Wii Message Board is available for users to post messages that are available to other Wii users by usage of Wii Numbers with WiiConnect24. In addition to writing text, players can also include images from an SD card in the body of messages, as well as attaching a Mii to the message. Announcements of software updates and video game news are posted by Nintendo. The Message Board can be used for posting memos for oneself or for family members without going online. These messages could then be put on any day of the calendar. The Wii Message Board could also be updated automatically by a real-time game like Animal Crossing.

Subsequent system updates added a number of minor features to the Message Board, including minor aesthetic changes, USB keyboard support and the ability to receive Internet links from friends, which can be launched in the Internet Channel.

The Wii Message Board is partially supported on Wii U via Wii Mode. Players can still receive internal messages from various Wii games that support this feature. Since the Wii U neither supports WiiConnect24, nor has its own Wii Friend Code, it cannot receive messages from or send messages to other sources or players. Consequently, the Wii U's Wii Message Board lacks an Address Book. Additionally, the WiiConnect24 service is to be no longer available as of June 28, 2013, completely ceasing data exchange functionality of the Wii Message Board for all Wii consoles themselves, whether as messages or game data.

The Wii Message Board is partially succeeded by the Notifications app on both Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, albeit the app does not support sending messages. It is also partially succeeded by the Activity Log app on the same consoles in terms of recording and saving historic data based on the user's activity and game play.

On November 17, 2016, without any prior announcements, Nintendo released a Nintendo 3DS app, via Nintendo eShop in North America, Europe, and Australia, called Swapdoodle, a spiritual successor to 2011's Swapnote/Nintendo Letter Box. It was eventually released in Japan on November 22, 2016 under the name Irasuto Kōkan Nikki(イラスト交換日記, lit. "Illustration Exchange Diary").

Swapdoodle is largely similar to Swapnote/Nintendo Letter Box in many aspects, including the latter's discontinued online ability to share stereoscopic 3D handwritten or drawn messages with anyone listed on the Nintendo 3DS friends list, as well as receive special messages from Nintendo. Swapdoodle also features an online store where users can download mostly paid DLC, which include additional pen effects, message space, stationary, and simple drawing lessons of various Nintendo characters. The app itself is free to download.

Unlike Swapnote/Nintendo Letter Box, Swapdoodle only allows the exchange of native in-game screenshots, but not generic picture and audio files. Additionally, Swapdoodle does not support StreetPass or any ability for wireless LAN exchange of messages.

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Wii U Chat(Wii U チャット,Wī Yū Chatto) was Wii U's online chat solution, powered by the Nintendo Network.[3] The service allowed users to use the Wii U GamePad's front-facing camera to video chat with registered friends. While video chatting, only the Wii U GamePad is needed, since on the TV, the same picture as in the GamePad's is shown. Users could have also drawn on the GamePad during a chat session.[4]

If there is a game or another application already running, the Wii U GamePad's HOME button ring will flash indicating that there is an incoming call. The idea of the feature was originally seen in the introduction trailer of the Wii U in E3 2011. However, users won't also be able to use the service as a multitasking application, therefore not having the ability to make video calls without interrupting game play.

Wii U Chat arrived in a "day one" update on the same day the Wii U launched. On August 29, 2017, Nintendo announces the worldwide discontinuation of the Wii U Chat service on November 8, 2017 at 3:00 pm JST.[5]

A DS game called Ping Pals is based on PictoChat, featuring an advanced range of options and capabilities. However, both users must own the game, making it less useful and widespread than PictoChat. Due to PictoChat being built into the system, Ping Pals received very negative reviews.

Clubhouse Games (42-All Time Classics in Europe) has a chat function similar to PictoChat, with added colors and extra features.

The game LOL has a similar interface to PictoChat but the gameplay itself is different.

A voice and text chat messenger app known as Chat-A-Lot, known in Japan as Minna no Oshaberi Chat(みんなのおしゃべりチャット, lit. "Everyone's talking chat"), was originally released in Japan on July 24, 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS eShop,[6] and was later released in North America on November 20, 2014,[7] and in Europe on February 19, 2015.[8] The app features many attributes from both PictoChat and Swapnote. It was developed by Japan-based WaiS Co. Ltd. and published by The Location Inc. in Japan and Teyon in North America and Europe, and costs ¥1000/$7.99/€7.99/£7.19 to download. Despite its features and use of emojis, the app was poorly received due to consistent lag time for a paid app. (Official website)